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Dr. Bana Jabri, head of The University of Chicago's Celiac Disease Center and pioneer of the role of inflammation in Celiac, has joined Bioniz's Scientific Advisory Board to lead the investigation of Bioniz's BNZ132-2 compound as a first-in-class therapeutic for this disease state.

I am thrilled that Bana has recognized the value of our multiple-cytokine inhibitory programs as a potential treatment for celiac disease... and that she has agreed to join our company’s scientific advisory board

Irvine, CA (PRWEB)November 03, 2015

Bioniz, a biopharmaceutical company leading the discovery and development of first-in-class multiple-cytokine inhibitory therapeutics to address immuno-inflammatory diseases and cancer immune-therapy, announced today the expansion of its Scientific Advisory Board with the addition of Bana Jabri MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Pathology; Co-director of the Digestive Disease Research Core Center; and Director of Research, University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Jabri is one of the leading researchers of celiac disease in the world and has directed the research team at The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center since 1999. With her leadership, The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center research team and the celiac disease community as a whole continue to make great strides in determining what triggers the abnormal reaction to gluten in celiac disease, and are working toward finding a cure.

"I am thrilled that Bana has recognized the value of our multiple-cytokine inhibitory programs as a potential treatment for celiac disease and other immune-mediated diseases, and that she has agreed to join our company’s scientific advisory board. She is an exceptional physician scientist, and her studies have elevated our understanding of celiac disease and IL-15 to new heights.” said Dr. Nazli Azimi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bioniz. “Bana’s extensive scientific and clinical knowledge in the field of celiac disease, and more generally of autoimmunity, as well as intestinal inflammatory disorders will be invaluable as we rapidly move one of our compounds, an IL-15 and IL-21 dual inhibitor called BNZ132-2, towards its clinical phase.”

“I am very excited about the opportunity to work with Bioniz and its team on the development of their BNZ132-2 compound as a treatment of celiac disease” said Dr. Bana Jabri. “There is estimated to be more than 3 million people in the US who suffer from celiac disease, but less than 20% have been diagnosed. I believe the strategy of dual cytokine inhibition of IL-15 and IL-21, both of which are critical in celiac disease, is spot on.” Dr, Jabri further commented on the broader potential of the company’s technology. “Type-1 diabetes, psoriatic arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease are other disease areas in which I believe BNZ132-2 would show therapeutic potential. I am very optimistic about the future of this approach.”

About Bioniz
Bioniz is a biopharmaceutical company leading the discovery and development of first-in-class multiple-cytokine inhibitory therapeutics to address immuno-inflammatory diseases and cancer, with an initial focus on orphan diseases. Bioniz leverages a world class expertise in cytokine biology and a first-in-class therapeutic platform, originating in research conducted at the National Institutes of Health, to create a new generation of multiple-cytokine inhibitors with selective specificity. Selective targeting of multiple cytokines that have redundant functions improves on the traditional approach of single anti-cytokine therapy. Bioniz’s technology is protected by US and international patents, which are solely owned by Bioniz. For more information, please visit http://www.bioniz.com.